The Mona Passage
Hi all. We left Luperon on Thursday evening at around 7PM and sailed all night and the next day to get to Samana on the east coast of the Dominican Republic. Samana is a very cute little town perched on a hillside, but we didn't get a chance to do any sightseeing, as we needed all day Saturday to recuperate from our 24-hour passage. We didn't even put the dinghy in the water, since the local bureaucrats came to the boat for the necessary paperwork, and payment of "fees".
Yesterday morning around 4AM we raised the anchor and set out across the Mona Passage for Puerto Rico. The weather window was fantastic. The seas were down and the wind didn't blow any harder than 10 knots yesterday during the day. And the wind came close to dying entirely last night. We actually had to restrict our speed so as to not arrive too early this morning. Of course it was mostly motorsailing, though we did manage to actually turn off the engine for a while early this morning, and really sail! That was very nice for a change.
We arrived at Mayaguez in Puerto Rico this morning around 7AM, just as it was getting light. Dropped the anchor and visited the immigration and customs folks before the huge ferry from the Dominican Republic arrived at 8AM. Very nice to be back in the USA again. After checking in we left for Boqueron, which is just a little over 10 miles south of Mayaguez. Grabbed a nap while it rained (seems the rain usually comes on these very calm and windless days), and them came ashore to see Boqueron this afternoon.
Boqueron is a college hotspot for the entire east coast of Puerto Rico and is apparently a major party town. However, it's Monday, so it's pretty dead. Don't think we'll be here through the weekend, but we'll see. We need to rent a car here as public transportation isn't nearly as efficient and easy to use as in the DR. We'll be reprovisioning, getting Maryann' computer fixed (it took a bit of a saltwater bath when her backpack fell off a floating dock), getting a replacement cell phone for me (it was in my pocket when the dinghy got swamped), and we'll also be getting some charts for our chart plotter. Exciting times.
Yesterday morning around 4AM we raised the anchor and set out across the Mona Passage for Puerto Rico. The weather window was fantastic. The seas were down and the wind didn't blow any harder than 10 knots yesterday during the day. And the wind came close to dying entirely last night. We actually had to restrict our speed so as to not arrive too early this morning. Of course it was mostly motorsailing, though we did manage to actually turn off the engine for a while early this morning, and really sail! That was very nice for a change.
We arrived at Mayaguez in Puerto Rico this morning around 7AM, just as it was getting light. Dropped the anchor and visited the immigration and customs folks before the huge ferry from the Dominican Republic arrived at 8AM. Very nice to be back in the USA again. After checking in we left for Boqueron, which is just a little over 10 miles south of Mayaguez. Grabbed a nap while it rained (seems the rain usually comes on these very calm and windless days), and them came ashore to see Boqueron this afternoon.
Boqueron is a college hotspot for the entire east coast of Puerto Rico and is apparently a major party town. However, it's Monday, so it's pretty dead. Don't think we'll be here through the weekend, but we'll see. We need to rent a car here as public transportation isn't nearly as efficient and easy to use as in the DR. We'll be reprovisioning, getting Maryann' computer fixed (it took a bit of a saltwater bath when her backpack fell off a floating dock), getting a replacement cell phone for me (it was in my pocket when the dinghy got swamped), and we'll also be getting some charts for our chart plotter. Exciting times.
posted by Ken at
2:40 PM |
2 Comments:
So, how long does it feel like you have been on your boat adventure?
Have you lost track of time? Do you sense time as days going by, seasons passing, experiences had, changed physique, money spent, or in tasks accomplished?
How does the passing of time feel for you now that you live on a boat with an open ended schedule?
- Julia
Some days we lose total track of day of the week. Other days we're acutely aware of it when we have things to do or have to coordinate with someone back in the states. So the answer is, "it depends". :-)
One thing, time seems to pass quickly. It's hard to believe it's already March and we're going to have to lay up in July!
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